India should back biomass over coal for gasification

The article critically analyzes India's National Coal Gasification Mission, which aims to convert 100 million tonnes of coal into methanol, ammonia, and fertilizers by 2030, backed by a ₹37,500-crore incentive scheme. While supporting the objective of energy security, it argues that the current strategy's reliance on lignite and high-ash Indian coal faces significant technical (high moisture, ash fusion temperature, sulphur, feedstock variability, unproven technology), economic (high capex, subsidies), and environmental (high carbon intensity without CCUS, lack of CCUS infrastructure) constraints. The author advocates for agricultural biomass as a more viable feedstock for gasification, highlighting its lower ash, negligible sulphur, established technology, lower lifecycle emissions, potential for distributed deployment, rural income generation, and ability to address stubble burning. The article suggests prioritizing biomass gasification at commercial scale while continuing pilot efforts for lignite.